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» Cancer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland

Cancer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland

Reach:

QLD

Focus area:

Indigenous

Status:

Completed

Evaluated:

No

Overview

The Cancer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland project was conducted by the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, and was a Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health (CRCAH) project, hosted by The Lowitja Institute. The aim of this project was to assess differences in disease stage at cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in Queensland.

All Indigenous people residing in Queensland and diagnosed with cancer between 1997 and 2002 were identified through Queensland public hospitals or the Queensland Cancer Registry, and were eligible for inclusion. The main findings from the research indicated that:

the likelihood of death from cancer was about 30% higher for Indigenous than for non-Indigenous cases, after taking into account cancer stage at diagnosis, cancer treatment, and higher rates of comorbidities in Indigenous individuals

compared with non-Indigenous Australian cancer patients, Indigenous patients of a similar age, sex, place of residence, type of cancer, and with similar access to public healthcare, fared worse

better understanding of cultural differences in attitudes to cancer and its treatment could translate into meaningful public health and clinical interventions to improve cancer survival in Indigenous Australians.